I have found this black-brown seed with the sun-yellow aril in the fruit and semen collection of the archaeobotany of Africa (Goethe University Frankfurt). Of course, it had to go back there, so I could not try the aril, which is reported to taste sweet and to be used as a thickener for sauces.

An aril encloses a seed in whole or in part and is often misunderstood as a fruit. In fact, an aril can at least have the function of a fruit; Red and yellow arilli attract animals which eat the aril with the seeds and ensure their spreading. Just like fruits, such arilli can be very fleshy and taste sweet.

The seed, like many other parts of Afzelia, is poisonous!

• Edible Aril (seed is poisonous!)
• Also edible Pulp Flowers
• Type of fruit Pulse
• Culinary group Thickeners
• Taste sweet
• Trivial names Afzelia, Lenke, Lengue, Apa, Doussi
• Size 3 cm (aril with seed)
• Taxonomy Fabaceae (bean family) - Caesalpinioideae Afzelia africana
• Origin Sahel Zone (Map)
• Locality Archäologie und Archäobotanik Afrikas, Goethe-Universität 2015